Mourners brave biting cold to take part in funeral of militant slain in Pulwama gunfight

Pulwama Braving the biting cold, thousands of mourners attended the last rites of Hizb ul Mujahideen militant killed in a gunfight with the government forces in Ratnipora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.

As the body of Hilal Ahmad Rather reached his native village of Begumbagh, some four kilometers from the site of the gunbattle, thousands of mourners converged there to participate in his last rites.

Two back to back rounds of funeral prayers were held for the Rather when this was report being filed.

Rather was shot dead by the forces in a gunfight that broke out early today. A soldier was killed and another wounded in the firefight, police and the army said.

Reports quoting sources, however, said two soldiers were killed in the gunfight.“